Project includes $1.1 million investment in Gray-based facility, resulting in 46 new direct and indirect jobs

GRAY — Today, Governor Bobby Jindal and Standard Crane & Hoist President Mac Hadden announced the opening of the company’s new manufacturing facility in Gray. Standard Crane & Hoist LLC made a capital investment of $1.1 million to build the 12,600-square-foot crane manufacturing facility, which will result in 19 new direct jobs with an average salary of $41,500, plus benefits, and 27 indirect jobs, for a total of more than 40 new jobs in the area.

The Gray facility will support the manufacturing of any size overhead crane used in the state of Louisiana. Standard Crane’s new facility is expected to reduce transportation costs for its Louisiana-based customers. The new facility in Gray was specifically designed for the specialized process of manufacturing overhead bridge cranes, putting Standard Crane in a small group of companies nationwide with that capability. Standard Crane, which employs 52 people at seven sites statewide, will have 71 employees by the end of 2013.

Governor Jindal said, “Standard Crane and Hoist’s new facility is not only great news for the Bayou Region, but great news for our entire state. Standard Crane is a Louisiana-based manufacturer that has been building overhead cranes and hoists for over 100 years in our state, and we’re proud they chose to reinvest here in our state. Their decision to expand is evidence of our strong business climate and our incomparable workforce.”

“Our team evaluated site location proposals in three Southern states and found that the combination of LED incentives, Louisiana’s top-rated steelworkers, and the proximity to our target market made Terrebonne Parish a perfect place to build this new facility,” Hadden said. “Standard Crane will have the ability to build maximum-sized cranes right here in Louisiana.”

The new facility is the latest step in the company’s 103-year history in Louisiana. Standard Crane was founded as Standard Supply Company in the original warehouse district on Tchoupitoulas Street in New Orleans. The company eventually outgrew its location in New Orleans and has since opened seven facilities across Louisiana. When the manufacturing capacity of the Destrehan facility could no longer keep up with sales, the company constructed the Gray facility to meet growing demand.

“Companies like Standard Crane & Hoist are a prime example of how aggressive Bayou Region companies are when it comes to not only meeting market demands, but growing with them,” said President and CEO Vic Lafont of the South Louisiana Economic Council. “We’re excited for them as they begin this new chapter in their history.”

The state began working with Standard Crane in May 2010 and the company is expected to utilize Louisiana’s Quality Jobs and Industrial Tax Exemption incentive programs.

“We are very excited that this rapidly growing company is reinvesting in the Terrebonne area, and that they recognized the potential this area brings to the industry,” said Terrebonne Parish President Michel Claudet. “We are particularly pleased with the 19 new jobs Standard Crane is bringing to Terrebonne, as they help us continue to have one of the highest employment rates in the state.”

About Standard Crane & Hoist

Headquartered in Destrehan, La., Standard Crane & Hoist is a leader in the manufacturing of cranes and hoists. Founded in 1909 in New Orleans as Standard Supply Co., the company has supported construction industries across the South. In 2006, the company adopted the name Standard Crane & Hoist LLC to better reflect its shift from general industrial supplies to crane and hoist manufacturing. The company manufactures and assembles all types of overhead cranes and hoists – including single- and double-girder bridge cranes, gantry cranes and jib cranes – and installs them in various applications across the South and Southwest.